Tension device for loom-shuttles.



mama.)

Patented Feb. l9, I90l.

TENSION DEVICE FOR LOOM SHUTTLES.

(Application filed Nov. 15, 1898 2 Sheets Sheet 1,

JhiaerJZZr No. 668,454. Patented Feb. I9, IQOI.

W. ORR.

TENSION DEVICE FOR LUOM SHUTTLES.

7 (Application filed Nov. 5. 18983 (No Model.) 7 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM ORR, OF TRENTON, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE NEW JERSEY WIRE CLOTH COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

'TENSION DEVICE FOR LOOM-SHUTTLES.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 668,454, dated February 19, 1901. Application filed November 15, 1898. serial No. 696,534. \NO model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM ORR, a citizen of the United States, residing atTrenton, county of Mercer, and State of New Jersey,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tension Devices for Loom- Shuttles, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

to This invention relates especially to those classes of looms in which the shuttle is carried back and forth by parts moving with the shuttle and is particularly applicable to looms for weaving wire fabrics, although it will be understood that it may be used also in other classes of looms. V

The object of the invention is to provide improved tension devices by which the tension on the weft or filling shall be increased as the shuttle approaches the limit of its move ment and decreased as the shuttle commences its movement, so as to secure a strong pull on the filling and the insertion of tightlydrawn straight shoots of filling, although employing only a comparatively light tension during the main movement of the shuttle. This strong pull is'especially important in wire-looms on account of the character of the material forming the filling.

0 In previous wire-looms the tension applied to the bobbin has been uniform and continuous, being. usually secured bya springpressed friction-pad carried by the shuttle and bearing on the bobbin. If this tension 3 5 be too great, the wire is liable to be broken by the pull upon it during the insertion of the filling, and even with a tension that avoids danger of breaking the wire the strain on the Wire in pulling it from the bobbin is liable to 40 draw the shuttle-carrying bar out of line, so that the shuttle is not properly transferred from one shuttle-carrying bar to the other, with the result that the warp-wires are liable to be broken and the reed-dents are some- 5 times pushed out of place or broken by the pressure of the shuttle. If the tension be too light, the result is that the. pull is not sufficient to straighten out the kinks or crooks in the wire, and crooked shoots of filling are'in- 5o serted and imperfect selvageis produced also,

the wire forming long loops at the selvage instead of being drawn tightly around the selvage-pins.

The present invention provides an intermittent tension upon the wire, so as to secure the strong pull necessary for forming a tight selvage and straightening out any kinks or crooks in the wire; and the invention includes, broadly, a tension device arranged to increase the tension on the shoot of filling as the shut- 6o tle approaches the limit of its movement. It is preferable that this greater tension on the filling be applied with a yielding pressure, as by the pressure of a weight or spring, and it is an important feature also of my improved tension device embodying the invention in the preferred form that the greater tension on the filling is applied gently at first and with increasing force as the shuttle approaches the limit of its movement, which is attained by the use of a spring tension device arranged so as to secure this result, and certain features forming parts of the invention include also this yielding pressure and gradual increase of tension.

For a full understanding of the invention a detailed description of a construction embodying all the features of the same in the preferred form as applied to wire-looms having a sliding-bar shuttle-motion will now be So given, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and the features forming the invention will then be specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation illustrating the loom so far as required to explain the present invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical view of the shuttle and tension device, showing the latter just com- 0 mencing to act upon the bobbin. Fig. 3 is a plan view corresponding to Fig. 2. Fig. 4.- is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the shuttle at the end of its movement with the full tension applied.

. Referring to said drawings, A is the frame of the loom; B, the swinging lay carrying the shuttle;movement and my tension devices; O, the heddles, and D the main shaft through which the parts are operated. The shuttle- I00 carriers a a are mounted to slide in bearings 10 in the lay-frame, and each is connected by a pitman 11 to one of two crank-arms 12 on a shaft mounted centrally in the lay-frame, and carrying a pulley or pulleys 13, about which pass a continuous band or two bands 14, which band or hands pass about pulleys 15 on opposite sides of the frame, thence upward over pulleys 16 at the top of the frame, and downward to crank-arms 17 on the main shaft D. Each of the shuttle-carriers a a is provided with an angular socket 18 at the end, which sockets receive angular studs 19 on the opposite ends of the shuttle-frame E, and the shuttle-frame E is held in place in the socket 18 of the arm a or a, by which it is carried by a spring-pressed catch-arm 20 on the carrier engaging a central catch 21 on the shuttle-frame, as shown in Fig. 3.

The construction thus far described is well known, so that no further description thereof is required, and its operation is the same as usual, the carriers a a being reciprocated across the loom by the carrier movement, so that. the carriers a a meet at the middle of the loom and there transfer the shuttle from one carrier to the other, the catch-arm 20 on the receiving-carrier being raised as it rides up the rounded surface of the bobbin-case in the shuttle, and thus raising and releasing the catch-arm 20 of the delivering-carrier from the catch 21 and itself engaging the catch 21 to hold the shuttle as the hook of the catch-arm passes over the catch and the transfer is made, and the shuttle is thus positively carried from one side of the loom to the other to insert the successive shoots of filling from the bobbin F, carried by the shuttleframe E. It will be understood that the loom may be of any suitable construction other than that shown, this loom being selected for illustration only as one of many well adapted for the application of my invention.

Referring now to the bobbin tension devices, the bobbin F is shown as under a continuous uniform tension produced by the usual friction-pad 22, carried by the shuttleframe, a continuous tension being thus produced sufficient to secure the proper comparatively light pull upon the wire desirable throughout the entire movement of the shuttle. The shuttle and bobbin, however, may be arranged in any other suitable manner or any other suitable device used to secure any desired tension upon the bobbin apart from the action of the intermittent tension devices of the present invention. Upon the lay-frame B, at each side of the loom, is mounted a tension device by which is produced the increased tension upon the bobbin at the end of the shuttle movement in accordance with the present invention.

In the simple and preferred form shown the tension devices at the opposite sides of the loom are separate and duplicatesof each other, the construction of each being as follows: A friction-pad I), made of leather or any other suitable material, is mounted upon a pad-plate 23, carried by a vertical arm 24, pivoted at 25 on the lay-frame and arranged so that the pad 17 engages and bears upon the edge of the bobbin F inthe shuttle-frame E as the latter approaches the end of its movement. A coiled spring 26 has one end connected to the arm 24 and the other end connected to the lay-frame, as at 27. A stop is preferably used against which the arm 24 rests in normal position under the pressure of spring 26, this stop being shown as formed by the pin 28. The pivot 25 and the pin 28 are shown as carried by a bracket 29, secured to the lay-frame, so that the whole tension device may readily be applied to any loom; but it will be understood that this is immaterial and that the tension devices may be mounted in any other suitable manner.

The operation of the construction will be understood from the drawings and a brief description.

As shown in Fig. 1, the shuttle E has just completed its movement to the right and the friction device at this side of the loom is now acting fully upon the bobbin, the pad I) and arm 24 being pressed outward from the stop 28 against the tension of the spring 26, while the friction device at the left of the loom is out of operation, with the pad b drawn inward by the spring 26, so that the arm 24 rests against the stop 28 and the pad I) is held under slight pressure of the spring 26 in position to engage the bobbin F as the shuttle E approaches the limit of its movement to the left in inserting the next shoot of filling.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the shuttle E is just approaching the limit ofits movement to the right, as shown by the arrowin Fig. 2, and the bobbin F has just come into contact with the friction-pad b, so as to apply pressure thereto as the pad is pressed back on the further movement of the shuttle. As the shuttle continues its movement to the right, the pad I) is pressed back by the swinging of the arm 24 upon the pivot 25 against the tension of spring 26, and the pressure of the pad 1) upon the bobbin F is thusincreased as the spring 26 is stretched and put under greater tension, and this movement and increase of tension upon the bobbin continues until the parts reach the position shown in Fig. 4, in which this movement of the shuttle is completed and the wire is under its greatest tension, which occurs just as the lay beats up the shoot of filling. The shoot of filling having been beaten up and the heddles shifted for the insertion of the next shoot the shuttle is returned to the left by the carrier at for transfer to the carrier at, and as the carrier at and shuttle commence their movements to the left the pressure of the pad 1) upon the bobbin F is decreased gradually as the tension upon the spring 26 is released by the movement of the arm 24 to the left with the pad I) following the bobbin until the arm 24 comes again into contact with the stop 28, when the pres- IIO sure of the pad 19 upon the bobbin F is entirely released, and during the further movement of the bobbin until the shuttle approaches the limit of its movement to the left the bobbin F is under only the continuous uniform tension produced by the pad 22. As the shuttle approaches the end of its movement to the left the friction device at that side of the loom acts in the same manner as above described.

It is desirable, although not essential, that some means should be provided for adjusting the tension device so as to secure just the right tension of pad I) upon the bobbin F and vary this tension as desired in accordance with the material used in weaving. This result may be secured in any suitable manner; but, as shown, the arm 24 is provided witha series of openings 1,th rough any one of which the end of the spring 26 may be connected to the arm 24 and the tension thus varied. Other simple and eiiicient means for securing the same result will readily occur to those skilled in the art.

It will be understood that many modifications may be made in the construction shown without departing from the invention, and I am not to be limited to the specific devices shown forseeuring intermittent tension upon the filling in accordance with the present invention. Instead of the spiral spring shown any other form of spring may be used and the same result secured. Other means,such as a weight, m ay be used for securing a yielding pressure; butthe best results are secured with a spring, as the pressure of a weight, being constant during application, is liable to give too sudden a strain to the shoot of filling, or if the Weight be made light enough to avoid danger from this cause it would not be so efficient in straightening out the wire and forming a tight selvage. The gradual application of theinereased pressure enables a very strong pull upon the wire to be secured at the proper moment,while avoiding all sudden strain upon the wire. In looms of the class shown the intermittent tension devices act upon the movement of the shuttlein both directions; but the invention includes also a construction in which the increased tension is appliedduring the movement of the shuttle in only one direction.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as applied toa loom for weaving wire-cloth, it must be understood that the use of the invention is not so limited, but that it may be applied also in looms for weaving other classes of goods, although of especial value in connection with Wire-weaving on account of the liability to kinks or crooks in the wire and the difficulty in forming tight selvage unless heavy tension be used.

What I claim is- 1. In a loom, the combinationwith the shuttle and bobbin carried thereby, of a tension device'arranged to bear with a yielding pressure upon the bobbin in the shuttle as the shuttle approaches the limit of its filling-ii} sorting movement so as to increase the tension on the shoot of filling as it is laid in, substantially as described.

2. In aloom, the combination with the shut tle and bobbin carried thereby, of a tension device arranged to bear with a gra'dually-increasing pressure upon the bobbin in the shut tle as the shuttle approaches the limit of its filling-inserting movement so as to increase the tension on the shoot of filling as it is laid in, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a loom-shuttle and bobbin carried thereby and means for carrying the shuttle from one side of the loom to the other, of a tension device arranged in the path of the shuttle at the side of the loom and acting to increase the tension-pressure on the bobbin as the shuttle approaches the limit of its movement so as to gradually increase the tension on the shoot of filling as it is laid in, substantially as described.

4:. The combination with the shuttle, bobbin carried thereby, and shuttle-carrier of a positive shuttle-movement wire-loom, of tension devices at opposite sides of the loom provided with tension pads arranged to bear upon the bobbin in the shuttle as the shuttle approaches the limit of its movement in either direction so as to gradually increase the tension on the shoot of filling as it is laid in, substantially as described.

5. The combination with the shuttle, bobbin carried thereby and shuttle-carrier of a positive shuttle-movement wire-loom, of tension devices at opposite sides of the loom provided with spring-pressed pads arranged to bear upon the bobbin in the shuttle as the shuttle approaches the limit of its movement in either direction so as to increase the tension on the shoot of filling as it is laid in, substantially as described.

6. In a loom, the combination with a shuttle and bobbin, of pivoted arm 24 carrying a friction-pad in the path of the bobbin and adapted to engage the bobbin near the end of the filling-inserting movement of the shuttle, and a spring against the pressure of which the arm and pad are moved by the bobbin during the further movement of the shuttle, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM ORR.

Witnesses:

O. J. SAWYER, T. F. Knnon.

IIS 

